Wide and short garden - very shady.

As my garden is wide and short I am at a loss how to make it so that it is not all visible at once. My garden is very shady (lots of very tall trees at the land beyond my garden). My lawn involves a constant battle with moss (but my husband wants the lawn kept and wants it to only have straight edges to ease mowing). If I have any tall plants everything behind it is cast into gloom. I am fortunate that the fence is covered in ivy and so is not too in-your-face. Any advice appreciated.

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Sounds like my ex girl friend, wide, short and doesn't like been visible all at once!. On a serious note, sounds like you have many bridges to cross before anyone can come up with planting suggestions or designs. If It was me I would have several nice days out in an array of gardens with a note book and pen. Tell your husband mowers can go round curves! a bit like my new girl friend.

My garden, too is wide and short, it is bordered by large oak and sycamores and a weeping willow just the other side of the bottom fence. A former pond area in the middle is now a central heart shaped bed, with a large fern, irises, ligularia, helebores, agapanthus lots of spring bulbs out now, snowdrops just over. I have curved lawns on either side and a wide curvy border all round the garden with mainly perennials and small shrubs. Annuals for summer colour help out. You can see it all at a glance, no secret corners but I don't mind that. Good luck Susan lily just enjoy.

I have a wide short garden which with the help of a designer - because my husband and I could not agree - now has a circular lawn, a pergola around one edge and a summerhouse in the corner. We love it and have recieved many complements.

I do sympathise with you susan_lily because my garden is square (10m x 10m) but also elevated. It's bordered with laurels on three sides and just lawn in the middle, which has been overtaken by moss. Peckie's garden sounds really nice but I am not sure if that design will work on an elevated garden (about a foot above patio level). I want to re-design the garden but don't know where to start and engaging a garden designer will be too expensive. Sorry about moaning, not giving advice.

The answer is to give space and breadth and movement. This can only be achieved by creating sweeping curves meandering across the plot incorporating architectural planting which will lead you visually into the garden.